Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Salt Needs Some

How ironic that a place named 'Salt' serves food that's completely lacking in that ingredient. Or, judging from the meals we had there last night, almost any spice. Or flavor.

A Corn Chowder starter had a decent spicy bite to it but the corn was flavorless and the chowder was lukewarm. Better was the Sirloin and Foie Gras Slider, a decadent and upscale take on White Castle that lived up to the billing I'd given it in my mind. Then again, at $15 it had better be good.

Entrees were a decidedly hit or miss affair with nothing being terrible but nothing achieving off the charts greatness, or even being memorable. Venison was cooked as ordered but completely flavorless. Asparagus Gnocchi gained flavor once it cooled down, but still needed extra cheese to achieve any flavor. A large bowl of Braised Lamb Shank had an impressive, Henry the VIII feel about it but amounted to, you guessed it, lots of flavorless meat.

Deserts of Creme Brulee and Flourless Chocolate Cake were, like the entrees, very ho hum. Okay service, nothing spectacular. Were I in the area and hungry I'd be more apt to sit at the bar and try several appetizers which seemed to fare better with our party.

If you're going to spend that kind of money ($85 per couple with tip and a couple drinks) I'd recommend Chameleon Cafe (reviewed in THG #10) over Salt any day.

4 comments:

We've only been once but I can't recommend it highly enough. I wrote about it in the new ish of Hungover Gourmet... I'll post my review here one of these days but the upshot is that the menu is creative, and they use local produce, meats and recipes when and where possible. It was a little crowded and loud the night we were there and in the spring and summer I think they may have patio dining as well but I'm not sure.